Cajun honky tonker DL Menard is best known for his immortal “La Porte Dans Arriere” (“The Back Door”) that sold 500,000 copies alone in 1962 and has been a staple in the Cajun repertoire ever since. More importantly, he has remained a cultural icon through his lovable, affable personality and seemingly infinite supply of oneliners. The latest batch of songs from the “Cajun Hank Williams” reveals that his writing is as good as ever He tells life stories with surprising moments of candidness, and although there’s the occasional tearjerker (“Les Portraits Sur La Plafonage”), most songs maintain a jovial outlook on subjects such as his fellow Cajuns (“Les Fous de la Campagne”), his hometown and the virtues of bayou living.

Producer Terry Huval ensured that Menard’s well-enunciated vocals were prominent while various pals Sonny Landreth, David Greely and Huval’s Jambalaya bandmates unobtrusively added color to the dance-oriented arrangements.

On the last track, Huval interviews Menard. He asks Menard if he records his melodies and words, or if he simply remembers them. “Sometimes I write them but most of the time I keep [them] in my head,” Menard says, then adds wryly “because I’ve got the technology.”